Huwwara and Tapuach Junction. 19 July ‏2005 Watchers: Ninette B., Aharona M., Nurit V., Dina A. (reporting)Guest: NavaTapuach Junction7:45 a.m.About 15 cars are waiting to cross from Nablus in the direction of Ramallah and area but, as has already been reported, there is a ‘bidul’. Two soldiers are at the checkpoint checking documents and permits but people are only allowed to cross into the Nablus area. Pedestrians who arrive cannot cross. A man from the education system who wants to cross from Awarta to Salfit tells us that for three days running he has come to the roadblock and returned home. He is worried about his job. A student wishes to cross to Ramallah but he is not allowed to, an older man whose wife is hospitalised in Ramallah wishes to go there but is refused.We call the Humanitarian Centre and are told to contact the D.C.O. who explain that there is a ‘bidul’, therefore, only humanitarian cases can cross. We try to help the man whose wife is in hospital in Ramallah. The first answer is that it’s impossible, finally we are told to speak to A. from the D.C.O. who will only be able to talk to us in an hour’s time, he is in a meeting. We suggest to the man that he goes home, it is so hot, and we will let him know what to do. After about an hour we get an answer: he should go to the Palestinian liaison who will approach the Israelis and, more than likely, he will get a permit. When we got back to him it turned out that he had found a way himself and had arrived in Ramallah.The soldiers are very hostile towards us and ask us to move away, we do not answer and finally they call the civilian police who ask us to move to the side of the road.Meanwhile reinforcements arrived at the roadblock and the queue is reduced.A sick woman arrives with her family on her way to hospital in Ramallah, she and her son are allowed to cross the rest of those accompanying her, including her husband, return home.We left the roadblock at nearly 9:00 a.m. on our way to Huwwara.Huwwara South.Once again there are various stalls open and many taxis waiting for passengers, although the traffic leaving from the direction of Nablus is very light. From South to North into Nablus the traffic of those crossing is heavy in the heat and under the burning sun; there are also many children as it is school holidays.Huwwara North There are very few people leaving Nablus, they know about the ‘bidul’, the soldiers are very polite, the roadblock commander M., is efficient and considerate. Mothers with buggies do not cross through the turnstiles but go around the side, the same goes for invalids, but just the same it is a sorry sight. A very elderly many leaning on two sticks, supported by the young man accompanying him walks all the way from one roadblock to the other, I tried to suggest that I stop a car for them to take them to the southern roadblock but the elderly man, sweating profusely, refuses.A primary school summer camp group of children crosses on their way to Ramallah and Jerusalem, they are equipped with all the permits.A woman who feels ill crosses by a cart from south to north.The cars at the entrance to Nablus also cross without problems, not more than two cars wait for a few minutes. Ambulances and buses with happy children cross, although everything is efficient and polite it still takes place under the watchful eyes of the soldiers. From the direction of Nablus the traffic of cars is slower, but there is no long queue of cars, the checks are very thorough.While we were there one person was detained for a few minutes, it turns out that there is a problem with his I.D. document and every day he is detained and after checking he is released.A mother and four children with Israeli I.D. cards arrive, they live in Nablus in the summer and are leaving to visit family, they also cross.This morning a good deed was done by the roadblock commander and the D.C.O. representative N.: two women arrived at the roadblock on their way to the eye clinic at Ariel. One of the women is losing her sight and she has an appointment with a doctor, but she does not have any travel permits.The person accompanying her worked for 13 years in Ariel and wants to go with her. The soldiers ask why a doctor in Ariel and the woman answers that the doctors there are better.The commander of the roadblock M., and N., try and get them a permit to cross, the woman calls the doctor who talks to A., and explains that he, the doctor, will wait in Ariel until 11:00 a.m. A jeep with a representative from the D.C.O. arrives with a permit for the women to cross.At 10:15 a.m. they get into a taxi and we hope that they arrive on time.We leave at around 11:00 a.m. after going to Beit Furiq which was empty of people.On our way back there are about 10 cars at Tapuach Junction.At 1:00 p.m. Elat phoned and informed me that a driver who is in touch with her reported on a long wait to leave Nablus, during the afternoon I was in touch with the D.C.O. people who tried to help but, according to the driver, the crossing was very slow and the checks very thorough particularly for those leaving Nablus.